The romance of flying has long gone
Flying is not the fun it used to be. Airports are largely a pain in the backside. You must get there hours before your flight due to increased security requirements and then sit twiddling your thumbs until your flight is called to board. Duty free is largely overpriced tat, or decent stuff you can buy at home for less.
My long-haul travel experience
Long haul tends to be my thing and I’ve flown every way you can imagine – business class, first class (once), premium economy and economy.
I’ve been loyal to one carrier for years (BA) and had their silver card (my partner was a gold card member) but, following the readjusting of their tier points, have recently just gone with the cheapest airline or one that offers the best journey.
I’ve flown direct, have broken the journey with connecting flights with a short layover, and have also tried staying over several nights at one place to break up the travel.
I’ve come to realise how I like to travel and what is important to me.
My big realisation is I hate night flights. I don’t sleep, other passengers annoy me more at night, and I arrive at my destination bedraggled and tired.
Should I fly business class?
If someone else is paying, hell yes! But otherwise, be careful. It’s nearly always very expensive, but if you can see it as part of your holiday experience, you might go for it, especially if it’s a long way. We went to Australia the year before last, booked far in advance and got good business class deals. I was especially impressed with Singapore Airlines. The food was incredible (I’m veggie and usually get some boring pasta) and the service excellent. This fabulous experience set us up for our one-in-a lifetime trip. I felt our business class tickets were worth it.
But for shorter trips, I say it’s a waste of money unless you are wealthy and can throw a few extra grand at a flight without much thought.
What class should I fly?
My top tip would be to fly premium economy. We are both tall, so the extra legroom is nice. We also pay extra for a decent seat. And on some airlines, you can pay for fast track through security and priority check in. All worth it in my book.
What about lounge access?
A few things have happened since I relinquished my silver card. Firstly, lounges no longer have free newspapers and magazines, one of the main attractions for me. Secondly, everyone uses them, and they have become very busy, almost a victim of their own success. We also had a Priority Pass card for a while; but sometimes we had to queue and other times we were turned away, so eventually we just didn’t bother. Thirdly, many airports have become so much better with their food provision in the restaurants and cafes. You can hunker down somewhere half decent and not have to worry about lounges at all.
The downside of night flights
-Somehow, I always get an infant with huge lungs who screams for the whole flight.
-Or, I get people standing in the aisle, talking together, right next to my seat.
-There is no way I can wash properly and clean my teeth in those small airline toilets. Plus, you must plan and do this at least an hour and a half before landing, as everyone else wants to freshen up.
Day flights – my new favourite way
For some destinations, you have no choice: there’s one flight a day and it leaves at night. But, if you can choose, maybe break up your journey with a connecting flight and go by day. I recently flew to India with Etihad, and I did just that. I had an early start, so I booked in to an airport hotel overnight. This removes the stress of worrying about getting to the airport in the early hours and I have an extra hour in bed. I get up and go straight to the airport, using the lengthy wait for boarding to have some breakfast.
A day flight means you can finally read that novel you’ve been meaning to, watch a few films back to back, do some work or generally have an almost ‘business as usual’ day. Of course, with the time difference ,you will be a bit tired when you get to your destination. But you can shower and then go straight to bed, in a nice proper bed and wake up after a few hours refreshed and ready to explore your new destination.
March 2025